Family Law Basics for Unmarried

Parents

Legal parentage, decision-making and caretaking

responsibilities, and child support for your minor child

January 2016

Our goals today

Legal information only

We cannot give you legal advice specific to your case

Every case is different

We will be discussing family law for unmarried parents;

we will not discuss divorce

We will be discussing Illinois law only

Topics

Legal parentage

Decision-making and care of your minor child

Grandparent visitation

Child Support

Tips

New law changes!

This presentation is based on the law as of 2016

Many of Illinois’ laws about parentage, child support,

decision-making and caretaking rights for minor

children changed on January 1, 2016

Some of the terms used in the new law are different

Do the new laws apply to my case?

The new laws apply to:

Cases started on or after January 1, 2016

Parts of cases that started before 2016 but were not

finished by 2016

Cases that were finished before 2016, if someone later goes

back to court to change or enforce a court order

Legal parentage

What is it and why does it matter?

What is parentage?

Parentage is the legal relationship between a parent and a

child

Paternity is the legal relationship between a father and his child

The birth mother’s parentage is usually established by her

giving birth

The other parent’s parentage must be legally established

Why does legal parentage matter?

If a person’s legal parentage is not established, that person

does not have any legal rights or obligations to the child

That person is not entitled to make decisions for his or

her child or to spend time with the child, and is not

required to pay child support

How is parentage established in IL?

1. The person was married to the child’s biological mother at the time of birth, conception, or at any point during the pregnancy;

2. The parents marry after the birth of the child, and the person is listed on the birth certificate with his or her written consent;

3. Court order

For fathers only, paternity can also be established by:

4. Voluntary Acknowledgment of Paternity (VAP) form, or

5. Department of Healthcare and Family Services (HFS) or public aid order

What is a Voluntary Acknowledgment of

Paternity (VAP)?

A VAP is a form signed by both parents acknowledging

that a man is the father of the child

Just one method of legally establishing paternity

Often signed at the hospital, but doesn’t have to be

When does the VAP take effect?

A VAP can be signed before the child is born

After signing, the form gets filed with the IL Department

of Public Health and HFS

It takes effect when the child is born OR when it gets

filed with HFS, whichever is later

What if the mother is married to someone

else?

The mother and the biological father can sign the VAP

even if the mother is married to someone else at the

time of the child’s birth or during the pregnancy

BUT the mother and her spouse must also sign a “denial

of parentage” form

The VAP isn’t effective unless the biological father signs

the VAP and the mother’s spouse signs the denial of

parentage form

What if the father listed on the VAP isn’t

really the father?

The VAP is a binding legal document with serious

consequences!

Don’t sign the VAP if you are not sure – wait for DNA

testing!

What if I change my mind?

At most, you have only 60 days from the effective date of

the VAP to change your mind and rescind it

The deadline might be shorter if a child support case is started

before the 60 days are up

Either parent can rescind the VAP within the 60 day time

period

To rescind, sign a rescission form and file it with HFS by

the deadline

What if I miss the 60 day deadline to

rescind the VAP?

After the 60 day deadline, paternity can only be changed

by court order and only in very limited circumstances

Fact that the person listed on the VAP is not the biological

father is usually not enough

A VAP can usually only be challenged within two years

after it becomes effective

A person who was a minor when he or she signed the VAP

may have two years from the date he or she turns 18 to go to

court to challenge the VAP

What if the other parent’s name is on the birth

certificate? Is parentage legally established?

Yes, if the child was born in Illinois after August 9, 1996

Beginning August 9, 1996, only the legal parents can be listed on

the birth certificate in Illinois

Establishing parentage in court

There are time limits for filing a parentage case

These vary depending on numerous factors

Court can order DNA testing

The party who asks for DNA testing usually pays for it

The court may split the costs between the parties

If your court fees have been waived, you can ask for the county

to pay the cost of the test

Do I have to get a court parentage order?

A court order is only one way to establish parentage

If a parent’s name is on the birth certificate or if a father

signed the VAP, this means parentage has been officially

established and you do not need a court order to

establish parentage

What if I am served with parentage court

papers?

If you are the alleged parent (usually dad):

If you do not respond to the court papers, the court can

decide you are the parent without a DNA test and without

your participation

The court might order you to pay child support

If you are already the legal parent of the child (usually

mom):

The court can make a parentage decision and enter orders

about decision-making, parenting time, and child support

without your participation

Allocation of Parental Responsibility

Decision-making and care of minor children

What is allocation of parental responsibility?

The 2016 laws replace the terms “custody” and “visitation” with the new term “allocation of parental responsibilities”

Allocation of parental responsibilities includes:

Significant decision-making responsibility: who makes decisions for the child and how decisions are made

Parenting time: the time that each parent spends with the child

A parent who wants the right to make decisions for a child or to spend time with a child will file a “Petition for Allocation of Parental Responsibility”

What about custody and visitation?

The word “custody” is still used in some parts of the law

For example, the parent who has more parenting time is considered

to have custody for school enrollment purposes

The word “visitation” now refers to the time a non-parent,

such as a grandparent, spends with the child

What is significant decision-making

responsibility?

Significant decision-making responsibility refers to

decisions for your child in the areas of:

Education

Healthcare

Religion (if there is a history of religious upbringing for the

child)

Extracurricular activities

It does not include most “everyday” decisions, like what a

child eats or what time he goes to bed

Who makes decisions for the child?

The court can give significant decision-making

responsibility to both or either parent in each area

For example, the court might say the parents have to work

together to make education decision for the child, but that

only the mother can make medical decisions

Everyday decisions are made by whichever parent is

caring for the child at that time

What is parenting time?

Parenting time refers to the time the child spends with

both parents

Usually, but not always, the child lives primarily with one

parent and sees the other parent regularly

Parenting time schedules

In most cases, the court will order a specific schedule for

when the child will be with each parent, as well as

transportation arrangements

A set schedule can help avoid problems later

There is no automatic or preferred schedule

Amount of parenting time and schedule varies by case

Parenting time does not have to be overnight

What is a parenting plan?

Each parent must file a proposed parenting plan in every allocation of parental responsibilities case within 120 days of filing the case or receiving the court papers

If the parents reach an agreement they can file a joint parenting plan

The plan has to include a lot of specific information, including:

How much time the child will spend with each parent (parenting time schedule)

Who will make decisions for the child in the areas of education, healthcare, religion, and extracurricular activities and how these decisions will be made

How the parents will handle disputes

Look at a sample plan to make sure you cover everything!

Do I need a court order allocating parental

responsibilities?

You are not required to have a court order

But without a court order:

It may not be clear who has the right to make decisions for the

child or to care for the child

It may be hard to get the court or the police to help you if you

have a dispute

How does a judge decide how to allocate

parental responsibilities?

If the parents agree on allocation of parental

responsibilities, the court will usually approve their

agreement

If the parents don’t agree, the court makes a decision

based on the “best interests” of the child

No presumption in favor of mom

What are the best interest factors?

Best interests includes things like:

The wishes of the parents

The wishes of the child (if the child is older)

The adjustment of the child to his home and community

The willingness of each parent to allow a close relationship with the other parent

Any history of abuse

The mental and physical health of all individuals involved

For decision-making, the history of decision-making and ability of the parents to cooperate to make decisions

For parenting time, the child’s relationship with each parent and the recent history of how much time each parent spends caring for the child

Can a parent who doesn’t have decision-making

responsibility still get parenting time?

Yes!

If a parent asks for parenting time in court, the judge will order parenting time unless the judge finds that parenting time should be restricted or supervised

Some judges may require the parent asking for parenting time to prove that it is in the child’s best interests

The relationship between a parent and child is the most important best interest factor

Ask for a parenting time order sooner rather than later if there are problems

Can parenting time be restricted?

A judge will restrict parenting time if the child’s health would be seriously endangered or if the parent’s conduct seriously endangered the child

Restrictions can include: Supervised parenting time

Prohibition against using alcohol or drugs during or before parenting time

Restrictions on who can be present during parenting time

Other restrictions to protect the child

Restricted parenting time is usually disfavored and temporary “He’s irresponsible” isn’t a good enough reason for restricted

parenting time

What about supervised parenting time?

Supervised parenting time is a type of restricted parenting

time

Arrangements can be very difficult

Must have appropriate supervisor, location, etc.

Family Visitation Center of Lake County

Think about other options such as short visits, safe place

for exchange, public place for visit, etc.

Which parent has responsibility if there

is no court order? If there are no court orders of any kind and the child lives

with the mother, the law presumes the mom has full parental responsibilities for the child

If there is a parentage order:

And it orders one parent to pay child support or awards parenting time, this is considered an order giving full parental responsibilities to the other parent

If there is no child support or parenting time order, the law presumes mom has full parental responsibilities for the child, unless the child has lived with the other parent for at least 6 months

Police usually won’t remove a child from the current situation without an allocation of parental responsibilities order

Can I change an allocation order?

If the most recent custody, visitation, or allocation order

is more than two years old:

You must show there has been change in circumstances since

the last order and that modification is in the best interests of

the children

Some changes can be made without showing a change in

circumstances, like minor changes or changes that reflect the

actual care arrangement

Can I change an order that is less than two

years old?

If the most recent custody, visitation, or allocation order

is less than two years old:

You must first show that the child’s present environment may

seriously endanger his physical, mental, moral, or emotional

health

If a parent has engaged in conduct that seriously

endangered the child’s health or development, the court

can enter orders to protect the child, including orders

restricting parenting time or decision making

What if I want to move?

If there are no court orders, the parent who is presumed

to have all of the parental responsibilities can move with

the child without permission from the court or the other

parent

BUT, keep in mind a move might encourage the other

parent to go to court to ask for an allocation order

It is possible that a court may require the parent who moved

to return if it is in the best interests of the child

What if there is a court order?

If there is a court order about the child, then it depends how far you are moving

If the parent with the majority of parenting time is moving: More than 25 miles away from home if the original home is in

Cook or the collar counties, or if the move is out of state; OR

More than 50 miles away from home within Illinois if the original home is not in Cook or the collar counties

then the move is called a relocation, and the parent must go through a special process to get permission from the other parent or the court

This is a big change from the old law, which allowed moves within the state with no restrictions but required court permission for all out of state moves

Grandparent visitation

Can grandparents get visitation?

Grandparents can get court ordered visitation in some limited

circumstances, including when:

One of the parents has unreasonably denied visitation; AND

The parents of the child are not married and do not live together

A grandparent who is related through the child’s father can

only get visitation if legal paternity has been established

The grandparent must prove that the parent's decisions about

visitation are harmful to the child's mental, physical, or

emotional health

What if I want to change a grandparent

visitation order?

If you are the parent:

You may petition to modify at any time based on changed circumstances when necessary to promote the child’s best interests

If you are the grandparent:

And the most recent visitation order is more than two years old, you must show there has been a change in circumstances since the last order and modification is in the best interests of the children

If the most recent parenting time order is less than two years old, you must show that the child’s present environment may seriously endanger his physical, mental, moral, or emotional health

Child Support

Child support basics

Legal parentage must be established before child support

is ordered

Either parent can be ordered to pay child support

Generally, the parent who does not have the majority of

parenting time is ordered to pay support to the parent who

has the majority of parenting time.

Minor parents can be ordered to pay child support

A child support obligation usually ends when the child

turns 18 or graduates from high school, whichever is later

How do I get child support in Illinois?

File a Petition for Child Support yourself

If there is an existing parentage or allocation of parental

responsibilities case, file the Petition for Child Support in the

same case

The court will decide parentage before ordering child support

Or, you can ask Child Support Enforcement Services

(CSE) to help you get child support

What is CSE? How can it help me?

CSE is a state program that can help you:

Get an order for parentage and child support

Modify or enforce a child support order

Work with similar agencies in other states to get an order if the other parent doesn’t have enough connections to Illinois to get an order here

CSE can help any parent

If you get certain public benefits, you may be required to work with CSE

CSE will not represent you to get an allocation of parental responsibilities order

How is child support calculated?

IL courts usually follow these “statutory guidelines:”

The court can order more or less in rare circumstances

NUMBER OF CHILDREN Percent of Supporting

Parent’s Net Income

1 20%

2 28%

3 32%

4 40%

5 45%

6 or more 50%

What is net income?

Income is all income from all sources

Net income is gross income minus the following:

Federal income tax

State income tax

FICA

Mandatory retirement contributions

Union dues

Insurance premiums

Student loan payments

Prior obligations of support or maintenance/alimony actually paid under a court order

Additional support

Court can order additional payments for:

Healthcare costs not covered by insurance

Childcare costs that allow a parent to work or attend school

Education costs

Extracurricular activities

What if the supporting parent is

unemployed?

The court can order the supporting parent to perform a

job search

The court can order a parent to pay support even if he

has no income

Usually a very small amount like $10/week

What if the supporting parent gets SSD or

SSI?

The court can order a parent to pay child support from

Social Security Disability (SSD) benefits

If the child receives SSD dependent benefits on the Social

Security account of the supporting parent, the dependent

benefit usually counts as the child support payment

The court cannot order a parent to pay child support

from Supplemental Security Income (SSI) benefits

What if the child or the parent who gets

support gets SSI?

If the child receives SSI benefits, child support counts as

income to the child for the SSI program

The parent who receives support must report the child

support income to Social Security on the child’s behalf

The child’s SSI payment may be reduced

If the parent who gets child support gets SS1, child

support does not count as income to the parent

How is a child support order enforced?

You can enforce an order on your own, or ask CSE for help

Notice to Withhold Income

Requires employer to withhold income directly from parent’s paycheck

Employer can be fined for failure to follow the Notice to Withhold

File a Petition for Rule to Show Cause in your child support case

Requires the supporting parent to come to court to explain why he or she is not paying child support

If he or she doesn’t have a good reason, the judge can hold the parent in contempt

What if child support isn’t paid?

Interest accrues on unpaid child support at a rate of 9%

State or a judge can:

Withhold money from unemployment insurance benefits

Intercept your federal and state income tax refunds and lottery winnings

Place liens on your real property

Freeze your bank accounts

Suspend your driver’s license

Deny your passport application

Send you to jail

Some of these can only be done if CSE is enforcing the order

I lost my job and can’t afford to pay support.

What should I do?

File a Petition to Modify Support right away

The judge can only adjust your child support as far back

as the date you file the Petition

How do I change a child support order?

Child support is not automatically recalculated because of

job loss, change in pay, etc.

File a Petition to Modify Child Support in the same court

case in which the original child support order was

entered

Must show there has been a substantial change in

circumstances

Child support and parenting time

No connection between child support and parenting time

A judge will not deny or restrict parenting time because a

parent doesn’t pay child support

Likewise, a parent can be ordered to pay child support

even if the parent doesn’t have any parenting time or

contact with the child

Tips for your family law case

Filing a court case

You are not required to have a lawyer

Filing fee for most Lake County family law cases is

$273.00

No filing fee if the parents have signed a VAP and are filing to

set up child support by agreement

If you don’t have enough money to pay the court fees, you

can ask the court to let you file for free

Application for Waiver of Court Fees

Notice and deadlines

There are rules you must follow to notify the other

parent of your court case

If the other parent files a case against you, there are

deadlines for you to respond

This presentation does not cover those topics

You should talk to a lawyer about the rules and deadlines that

apply in your case

How do I get a court order in IL?

File a petition telling the court what you want and why

For example, file a Petition to Establish Child Support if you want child support

If the case involves decision-making for a child or parenting time, you must file in the county where the child lives; otherwise, file in the county where either mom or dad lives

An IL court can usually decide parentage or child support only if the other parent has some connections to IL

An IL court can usually decide issues involving care or decision-making for a child only if the child has lived in IL for at least 6 months (or since birth if the child is under 6 months)

Other court requirements

A court approved parenting class is required in allocation

of parental responsibilities cases

The judge may require you to go to mediation if you can’t

agree on decision-making or parenting time

Tips

Be careful what you post on social media!

Document disputes and schedules

Act early

Public benefits

Changes in household size, income, and expenses can

impact eligibility for public benefits like SSI, TANF, food

stamps, Medicaid, and public housing

Report all changes immediately!

Additional resources

I still need help!

CSE: 1-800-447-4278 or 227A N. Genesee St., Waukegan,

IL 60085: http://www.childsupportillinois.com/

www.illinoislegalaid.org

Legal information and court forms

Lake County court forms:

http://www.lakecountycircuitclerk.org/court-forms

Statewide court forms:

http://www.illinoiscourts.gov/Forms/approved/default.asp

I still need help!

Prairie State Legal Services

Apply by phone: 800-531-7057

Apply online: www.pslegal.org

Help with parentage, allocation of parental responsibility, and

support is usually limited to telephone advice

Illinois State Bar Association Lawyer Referral

30 minute consultation for $25 or less

1-800-922-8757

http://ilf.isba.org/search.html

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